I am often asked "how do I implement composition in my classroom?" by teachers at conferences, conventions and workshops. Some concerns I often hear are

"my students don't really have notation skills"

"we don't have technology and notation software"

"I have never had composition classes at college"

"the students don't respond well when I tell them we are going to write a song"

and so forth.

If these are some of your concerns, this step-by-step guideline below aims to address this "getting started" phase.

1. BABY STEPSComposition in the classroom does not mean you are composing symphonies on day one. Composition does not happen in a vacuum - students need a prompt, an explorative set, discussion and analysis to figure out how to "come up" with new notes. Provide guides, prompts, ideas, images, stories, templates, analysis tables, manipulatives, etc.

2. NOTATIONUltimately we would like students to be comfortable with standard notation and use that in composition. Use composition activities to explore notation, to learn notation as they continue and to understand notation in service to our ideas. Start with two or three notes - understand this as the compositional "motif". Generate a "motif" through random choices: aleatoric principles, roll of the dice, letters in your name, numbers, cards.Also, include many activities that focus on rhythmic writing, e.g. percussion ensemble, body percussion scores, drumming scores, graphic scores, etc. Provide rhythmic and/or melodic templates. Lessons: Music Composition for Teens 1: African Drumming pg. 2Music Composition for Teens 2: Take Five pg. 40

3. TECHNIQUESStudents need guidelines as to how to create a melody that "feels right". Start by teaching them how to compose a 3 or 4 note motif or give them a motif. Then teach them how to expand this to longer phrases through

repeat

sequence (writing the motif one step higher or lower)

augmentation (double the note values)

diminution (half the note values)

fragmentation (chop up the motif using only two of the notes e.g. the 2 beginning notes or the 2 last notes)

4. TECHNOLOGYThe availability of technology varies greatly from class to class. Some teachers have computers, software, iPads, etc. Others have only a piano and maybe some keyboards. Here are some ideas to include technology:

Smart phones: it seems everyone, including your youngest students, have smart phones these days. Smart phones at the minimum have apps such as camera, video, sound recorders, ring tones and more.

iPads: similar to smart phones these devices have camera, video, sound, and so forth. If your class/school has iPads don't worry about additional software - there are enough projects you can come up with using only these very basic functions.

Notation software: If you or your school have Finale or Sibelius, or maybe another program, use this as a starting point OR as the final step in a project. It's not always productive or worthwhile to have the entire class of 30+ students all trying to get to a computer, use software they are not familiar with, run into technology issues, and then expect them to produce a good composition. Students need more initial, preparatory work before "composing" at the computer right out the starting blocks.

Keyboards: Keyboards have many functions such as multiple tone colors, rhythms, USB connections, storage and recording capabilities and even making sound tracks. This depends on your class and your particular situation.

5. GROUP WORKKeep in mind that not every composition has to be an individual project. However, group work does require solid preplanning for it to be successful and not simply a group of kids arguing about whose ideas are going to be used.

Make one person responsible for a section of a composition (e.g. One person on Part A, second person on Part B in a binary piece, composing around a given motif)

Think in terms of "composite" works e.g. Suite, Sonata, etc. In composing a Suite Student 1 could have the Intro, Student 2 a 4/4 time piece (Allemande), Student 3 a lively 4/4 piece (Courante), Student 4 a 3/4 piece (Minuet), etc. Give ALL students the same 3-note motif and let them adapt it to their time signature and tempo.

In two-person teams one student could be responsible for the melody and another for the accompaniment.

6. INSTRUMENTSGroups employing composition in the classroom vary greatly: performance groups (bands, orchestra, chorus), music appreciation, general music, etc. Therefore as you use composition, the product you produce and can perform will vary greatly depending on the general skill of your instrumentalists/vocalists. However, good ideas for all groups:

technology: phones, beepers, iPads (add these electronic sounds to compositions). Students can compose a score for voice, body percussion and phone!

Found sounds: think beyond the classroom. Give students a list of possible objects to bring, else you will end up with pens, pencils and staplers they found in their backpacks. E.g. whistles, wind chimes, frisbees (drumming), chopsticks, pvc pipes, etc.

8. CONTEMPORARY TECHNIQUESTeachers are often concerned about introducing techniques such as abstract music, serialism, minimalism, polytonality, aleatoric music, etc., because they are not sure how to introduce, plan and present these techniques. However, here is much scope for the innovative and creative teacher. Here are some easy entry points. Look these terms up and think how you can use this as a starting point for explorative activities followed by a composition: